Laser Eye Surgery

[PureChaos]

I've worn glasses for years but I've been thinking recently about getting surgery. Thought about it a few years ago but, when I looked into it, when I found out what they did it put me off. I've now spoken to some friends who have had it done and they said it's the best thing they've done and don't regret it in the slightest.

Has anyone here had it done? If you have, how was the experience? Anyone thinking about getting it done? Or do you find the concept of someone cutting a flap in your eye, folding it back then shooting a laser into your eye horrific?

 

[IndomitableSam]

I'm still waitingfor the 20-30+ year results down the line. I've worn glasses/contacts for over 20 years now and would love to get them done, but there are possibilities of side effects or bad reactions and such. I also really want to know how your eyes are way down the line, especially when you you're older and your vision starts going again - what kind of problems will there be when that happens?

Also, I'm pretty sure your eyes can still continue to deteriorate even after the surgery so you may end up needing glasses/contacts again anyway as your eyes naturally continue to degrade.

So... I'd very interested too, and I'm at the point in my life where I have the money to be able to do it, but the long-term effects are an unknown to me.

 

[Comocat]

I had PRK done (where they actually grind your cornea away) and it was probably the best $1500 I ever spent. My vision has regressed since I had it done almost 5 years ago, but given that my vision was awful before, and now one eye is 20/20 and the other slightly weaker (I was something like 20/10 or 20/15 after) its not so bad.

Just fyi IndomitableSam, contacts damage your cornea as well, so if you do end up getting LASIK they ask you to not wear them for something lik a month. So I think the trade-offs are probably equivalent.

As to the surgery, I wont lie, the next few days are uncomfortable, but mostly because my vision was so fucking awesome my brain couldnt handle it. Seriously, everything was essentially in super-HD and I couldnt focus on anything because the clarity was disorienting. Video games and reading were pretty much impossible, so I mostly slept. They also give you these plastic eye shields to tape around your face while you sleep which make you look like an insect of sorts. I took the medicine they gave me and after 1 or 2 days I was fine. I dont remember much pain, mostly just being incredibly bored because I could only focus on something for about a minute before it made me uncomfortable.

 

[Fappy]

My step dad did it around 5 years ago and he recommends it to everyone who brings it up. If I had vision issues I'm not entirely sure if I'd do it or not though...

 

[IndomitableSam]

Just fyi IndomitableSam, contacts damage your cornea as well, so if you do end up getting LASIK they ask you to not wear them for something lik a month. So I think the trade-offs are probably equivalent.

I know they do, but I can't stand glasses, so I'm kind of at a loss. And while I have the money, it's not like I won't miss it, either. My state of mind has kind of been "wait until you're about 40, get it done then, and then you'll probably be dead before any long term issues arise."

I also have an undiagnosed eye issue - which is most likely a recurring virus that crops up every few years and leaves spots in my eyes for a few weeks, so I'm unsure what the surgery would do to that. It's undiagnosed because it crops up, I make an apointment with the eye doctor, get there a few days later, get recommended to a specialist and by the time I see him it's gone away again (Yay Canadian medical system). Has happened multiple times. My macula has slight scarring from it, as well, too, so anything changing my eyes worry me. I'm not that sanitary when it comes to my contacts, either.

 

[YuberNeclord]

I've worn glasses for about 15 years now and having laser surgery has crossed my mind on the odd occasion.

I dunno, I've heard most of the points that have been raised so far, plus I've also heard that there is a chance that the surgery doesn't 'take' or only provides a minuscule improvement.
Weighing up the pro's and con's I'd just rather stick with glasses. I've been wearing them for so long now that I honestly forget that I'm wearing them most of the time, so I don't really see them as anything of an inconvenience.

Also I've heard enough horror stories about people ending up disfiguring themselves because of their vanity to really just be happy with what I've got. Knowing my luck I'd be the one guy who ends up going blind or doing a Ned Flanders and having my eyes fall out.

Oh and I'm not interested in getting contacts, I've got a thing about putting things in my eyes. I've also heard that they can be more trouble then they are worth because you always have to make sure to not get dust on them before wearing them or that you are not able to do some activates while wearing them, such as swimming, so you could find yourself constantly removing and putting them back on again.

 

[DugMachine]

I've been wanting to do it but I'm terribly afraid of any sort of surgery. I don't want scalpel and lazers around my eyeballs.

 

[PureChaos]

From what I've read the chance of there being a problem is something like 0.4% but what DugMachine said is more of an issue!

 

[Weaver]

I've really been considering it too. Though I'm also worried my vision will just regress again and I'll be wearing glasses once more.

My optometrist even said I'd be a "good candidate" for it. Whatever that means.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

I've thought about it a few times. I will admit that my glasses are kind of a pain at times...

Spoiler: On the other hand, if I lose them I couldn't do stuff like this!

Can't say I'm that bummed to be honest...

 

[Frezzato]

snip

I only personally know one person who got laser eye surgery, in this case Lasik [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LASIK], who was over the age of 55 when he got it. Age-related macular degeneration played a big part in the fact that less than 5 years later, he had to get Lasik again.

 

[Xarathox]

I've worn glasses nearly all of my life, almost 30 years actually, and even though I get annoyed with them I don't think I could get LASIK surgery done. Not unless they strap me down, and are somehow able to pry my eye lids open for the duration of it. I really, really hate touching my eyes.

 

[redmoretrout]

If I could spare the money I would get it done it a heart beat, but as of now I'm a broke college student.

 

[Marik2]

Been thinking about it cuz I look better without glasses.

LASIK surgery seems the best since they checked my eyes and said my vision would most likely stay that way, so no fear of vision regression if I get the surgery.

 

[lechat]

everyone i know who has had it done said it was awesome and well worth it
me personally i get freaked out with eye related stuff so i doubt i could sit through the procedure without having a complete breakdown

 

[TehCookie]

I kind of want it and kind of don't, I like wearing glasses but I hate being completely blind without them and my prescription gives me eye strain for being too strong. I don't mean being to strong for my eyes, I have around 20/400 vision in both eyes so it's strong to correct that. My vision maybe too bad to even get it anyways.

 

[Frankster]

Im uncomfortable with the idea of my eyes being opened and that there is a chance, even miniscule of surgery going horribly wrong means im not likely to consider eye surgery any time soon. Contact lenses have their downsides, but i only wear those for sports and when i want to look my best.

I might get self conscious about wearing glasses but as another poster here said, it's better to appreciate what you got and ill always be insecure about something no matter what i do really.
And if the girl of my dreams blows me off cos i wear glasses in private/when relaxing, then guess she wasnt for me after all so no worries there either.

 

[uzo]

And if the girl of my dreams blows me off cos i wear glasses in private/when relaxing, then guess she wasnt for me after all so no worries there either.

For me it wasn't so much the 'gal of my dreams' that was the problem when I was younger. It was 'the girl who would otherwise be more than willing to shag me if I didn't have those damned glasses'. Seriously, with my glasses on girls say I look like Leonard from Big Bang Theory, and with contacts in girls say I look like Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Carribean. Guess which incarnation of Uzo gets lucky?

In my own experience, whether it is simply the added confidence I have from not having to wear my coke bottle lenses (my eyes are so bad I have to go crosseyed to focus on something minus specs/contacts - barely 3" focal range), I am almost guaranteed to score with contacts and have NEVER scored with glasses. EVER. People who don't need glasses seem to believe it's a confidence thing, but I call bullshit. I remember switching to contacts when I was just in the final weeks of high school before the HSC and blam girls I had known for years started actively seeking out my company. I got more attention from more girls in those 6 weeks than I had in the 6 years of high school.

On topic ... I'm over 30 now, married, and with 1 kiddie and another on the way. I still wear glasses/contacts, as does my wife. My kids will almost 100% require glasses, but I'm not going to make them go through high school without at least having the option of contacts (whether I'm going to pay for them to be the daily option is another matter though lol).

I would love to do some kind of visual corrective surgery, but at my age and marital status it's simply not necessary. I do however wear contacts when I'm going out or on business/at work. People react to me completely differently without glasses - I'm more commanding (instead of just seeing some 4-eyed geek, they see a good looking guy with muscles popping out of his sleeves and a confident, easy smile).

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Glasses can be a ***** when you're travelling. I never wear them outside the house too, I hate not having peripheral vision. On the other hand, I like having them as a possible fashion accessory that is totally OK and not hipster at all, because I'm practically blind without them.

Spoiler: Also, I'm scared of laser eye surgery...

 

[Section Crow]

Dude, i was thinking about it until you told me that jeepers creepers that strikes home...

I still probably wouldn't get laser eye surgery since i love wearing glasses so i can play around with different expressions, for example just throw your glasses off randomly at your work or in a class when someones talking, the reactions are hysterical also the fact i can adjust the quality of the world by simply putting them on and off still gives me the child-like glee it did when i put on my first pair.